Who's Behind You Now?
by mookies
Summary: Uchiha Itachi proves throughout the years that he too is capable of healing others. More specifically, the one person who gave him a chance. Itachi/Kagome. AU.
1. The Game

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto. **

a/n: maaah, another story! And it's not set in the Naruto world (because I'm sick of writing about ninjas!)! _And_ it's an Ita/Kag, since Daybreak has been sorta... blaaah, recently. This is to make up for all the waiting that my lovely readers have had to endure! Also, let's face it, we all love Ita/Kag. I say the more stories, the better. :)

**[Edited 4/19/2013 – I actually went and researched so that my story could be at least somewhat accurate. XD So, instead of them being seven, they are six, as that is the age kids begin first grade in Japan.]**

Enjooooy~

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><p>He refused to sing along to the catchy lyrics of the song that all the other children sang along to whenever they played this particular game. Which, much to his dismay, happened to be <em>every<em> day, because this game was so popular and easy to play.

There was something rather dark about the words, and while all the other kids in his class thought nothing of them, _he_ knew there was a darker meaning to the seemingly innocent children's song.

Because for a seven year old, Uchiha Itachi had a pretty sharp mind, something he was typically praised for.

He watched as the kids in his class (he wouldn't necessarily call them his friends, because no matter what he did, nobody wanted to befriend _him_) all linked hands and circled around a boy with dark brown hair and a pair of arrogant blue eyes that no six year old should have. The boy was crouched down, staring at each of his classmates with his lips sent in an eager smile. Since it was his turn, he was the _bird_, ready to make his escape.

"Watch, I'll get it right on the first try, no doubt about it!" The boy exclaimed in glee before he covered his eyes.

And just like that, the singing began.

_Kagome, Kagome,  
>Kago no naka no tori wa...<em>

Itachi frowned as he watched the kids circle around and around Ookami Kouga from his spot under a tree.

Was it really that hard to understand the true meaning of the lyrics, he wondered? Then again, most _normal_ kids his age didn't care much about meaning, or importance. Regardless of that though, he hoped that someday, everyone would get sick of the game and stop playing it, maybe even forget about it all together.

No such luck.

About a month later, a little girl who wore a red bow in her short black hair transferred into his class.

The irony of it was that the name of the game his classmates _still_ enjoyed playing every day happened to be her name too.

End of Chapter.


	2. The Introduction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto.**

Thank you, all my wonderful readers and reviewers! It truly means a lot. :)

And don't worry about lonely Itachi! He will have a friend soon enough. ;) Also, the way seats work is there are two kids per table.

**[Edited 4/19/2013]**

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><p>"Class, this is Kagome-chan, and she just recently moved here to Tokyo," Arikawa-sensei beamed as she gestured towards the tiny girl in a pink plaid dress standing next to her. "Kagome-chan, why don't you introduce yourself?"<p>

Kagome stared up at the older woman, as if she were debating to so before turning toward the 25 pairs of prying eyes.

She gulped. "My name is Higurashi Kagome and I live at Higurashi shrine," was her short introduction before she looked back at Arikawa-sensei with an anxious glance, clearly wondering if she had done a good job.

She was offered a gentle smile before the teacher directed her attention back to the other students. "Well class, any questions?"

Ten hands went in the air. It took Arikawa about five seconds to decide who to choose first. "Eri-chan."

The dark eyed girl grinned at being called first and met Kagome's gaze. "Where did you come from?" She asked while resting her head on her open palms.

"Far from here," Kagome answered, her eyes wandering down to the floor. "Near the ocean."

A chorus of 'oohs' passed throughout the classroom. A good majority of them had been born and stayed within the confines of the city side of Tokyo, so meeting someone who hadn't was pretty cool to them.

The other questions asked were typical, and, for some reason, while it seemed like Kagome was answering each question, it felt like she wasn't. Especially when she was asked why she had moved to Tokyo. She came off as evasive and timid. Finally, one of the more persistent hand raisers was chosen, as the young boy looked ready to jump out of his seat and run directly to Kagome so that he could ask his question. The last thing Arikawa wanted was to startle the poor girl.

"Hide-kun," she called.

The boy's dark eyes lit up and he leveled Kagome with a pensive look. "So, since your name is Kagome, does that mean that you like to play the game Kagome, Kagome?"

Nobody noticed how Kagome seemed to draw back, as if she had been hoping nobody would have asked this particular question. Nobody but Itachi, anyway.

After a long pause, Kagome finally answered. "No."

24 faces reeled back, completely appalled and shocked by her answer.

How could _Kagome_ not like playing _Kagome, Kagome_? They were probably wondering. To them, it made no sense, because if any of them were named after a popular game, then of _course_ they would love playing it.

Nobody bothered asking any more questions, because they were all taking in the fact that the new girl was _weird_.

Arikawa cleared her throat. "Well, if all questions have been answered, then I guess it's time for class to start! Kagome-chan, why don't you sit next to..." Her light brown orbs lightly glanced around the room, looking for the one empty seat. "Itachi-kun! Please raise your hand so Kagome-chan will know where to sit."

Always one to listen to his superiors, Itachi raised his hand.

Without a word, Kagome made her way over to her table partner near the back of the room. She tried her best to ignore all the eyes watching her every move, despite the odd feeling it gave her. It didn't take her long to arrive at Itachi's table, and in a coy manner, she sat down next to him.

With that, class begun.

While Arikawa-sensei went on about little life lessons, and how important it was to be nice to others, Kagome's curiosity won the better of her and she looked over to the calm boy sitting next to her.

Immediately, she decided that he looked nice.

To her surprise, his dark eyes darted in her direction, having felt her eyes on his person. To add on to her shock, he smiled at her. It was a gesture that the other first graders in their class didn't appreciate, not when it came from him.

And for the first time in a while, Kagome couldn't help but smile back.

End of Chapter.

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><p>an: there _is_ a reason why Kagome isn't as cheery and as optimistic as she should be and it will be revealed soon. And there are going to be time skips, because there's no way that the story can focus solely on a seven year old Itachi and Kagome. There's no fun in that, no matter how adorable they are. :)


	3. Where He'll Always be

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto. **

Waah, you guys are _amazing_! Mucho thanks!

Yeahhh, freakin' 1st graders, hahah. Being the new kid is the worst, no matter what grade you're in (I know that from experience...)!

**[Edited 4/19/2013 – remember, Kagome transferred to the school in late February]**

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><p>Kagome looked like the type of girl who could look on the brighter side of things and, no matter what she was personally feeling, would put aside her inner conflicts and smile for those around her. At least, that was his first impression of her.<p>

If that was true about Kagome's character though, then Itachi wondered why she looked so _sad_. While she sat there, on her first day at a new school, he noticed that she had a faraway look in her eyes: like she was there, but she wasn't. It was odd. That look stayed in her eyes all throughout the day, and for most of that first week.

_'Itachi, always be nice to others,' _his mother had told him a long time ago. Of course, he had found out the hard way that being nice to others didn't necessarily mean that they'd be nice back, and that others didn't need a reason to _not_ be nice. However, Kagome had smiled back when he smiled at her, something none of the other kids in their grade had done. So the least he could do was try to make her smile a little more.

Whenever she had a blank look on her face because she couldn't understand a reading Arikawa-sensei had assigned, he would explain it to her. Whenever she frowned and nibbled on the end of her pencil because she didn't know how to solve a certain math problem, he would walk her through it. Whenever she looked around the room in a lost daze, he would ask her if she was alright.

At first, she would merely stare at him once he was done helping her before offering him a demure 'thanks,' or 'yeah, I'm fine.' As the days passed though, she was beginning to open up a little more and those smiles of hers were becoming more of a frequent thing.

That made him glad. Her smile was very comforting. At the same time though, it was a bit strange for him because he wasn't used to someone who was so... _different_ from all the others—someone who acknowledged what he did _and_ appreciated it.

However, he recalled hearing somewhere that this particular feeling of contentment was very common among friends...

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><p>The last bell of the day rang at 3:05.<p>

A good majority of the kids in Arikawa's class were out the door within five seconds after that bell stopped ringing. Clearly, they were more than anxious to leave the classroom as quickly as possible.

But, even two weeks after arriving, Kagome wasn't one of those speedy kids and instead, she liked to take her time. She learned that Itachi did too. He finished gathering his things together first as usual, but when he got up from his seat to leave, he was a little surprised to see that Kagome remained seated, her yellow backpack still resting on its hook on the furthest wall.

"I have to wait for mama to get here," Kagome answered when she noticed him staring at her funny. "She said she might be late 'cause she has a lot of stuff to do."

Itachi blinked. "...I'll wait with you."

With a blush, Kagome immediately began protesting: it was another little crack in her withdrawn shell. "Oh, no, Itachi-kun! You don't have to! I'll be fine waiting by myself!"

Ignoring her comments, Itachi moved to sit in his chair again.

From her desk, Arikawa-sensei smiled.

"Itachi-kun! Won't your mom and dad worry if you—"

"I live really close to the school," Itachi interrupted. "If they really start to worry, my mom will know to look for me here. But until then..."

Kagome fiddled with the hem of her dress and looked down in happy embarrassment.

'Sango-chan,' she thought with a tiny smile that lit up the room, 'I kept my promise to you: I made a new friend...'

After a couple of minutes of silence, Itachi decided to ask a question that he had been pondering on for a while now. "Kagome-chan, don't you have any other family members that could come pick you up? Like your dad? That way you don't have to wait for your mom to arrive."

He immediately regretted asking when Kagome seemed to shrink back, a look of pure hurt hazing over her blue eyes.

Itachi tried to apologize, but Kagome merely shook her head, because he hadn't done anything wrong. It's not like he knew... Once he closed his mouth, she looked up at the ceiling, as if someone was there, watching over her. Maybe there was.

"My... dad _would_ come get me," she began in a soft whisper, "if he were still alive."

End of Chapter.

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><p>an: yes, critical eyes, you were right. In Japan, a book called _Shousetsu Inuyasha_ was released, and in it, it states that Kagome's dad died in an accident and because of that, the surviving Higurashi family members went to go live with jii-chan at Higurashi shrine. Yep yep. Too bad that book was never released here in the U.S...

So... one more chapter before a time skip! :) What age do you guys want them to be next?


	4. That's to Be Expected

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto.**

Aaah, sorry, I should have been more clear: this story is set in the modern world. Sorry! But thank you all for reading, and reviewing! It means a lot! :)

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><p>And just like that, the world made a lot more sense. The withdrawn attitude, the constant dazing off into space and sad eyes... Kagome was suffering a deep loss. Itachi suddenly felt a bit awkward. So he said something he was sure she had heard over a hundred times by now.<p>

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Kagome's eyes wandered back down from the ceiling to him. Her lips lowered in a frown when she saw that he was staring at her with a... bit of melancholy? At this point, it was a look she was used to seeing, but that didn't mean that she liked seeing it.

"It's okay, Itachi-kun," she began with a gentle gaze and comforting voice, "you don't need to be sad."

_'_I_ don't need to be sad?' _Itachi thought as he looked away. _She_ was the one hurting and yet _she_ was the one telling _him_ not to be sad? He was new to this sort of thing, but he was pretty sure that wasn't how it was supposed to go.

He scrunched his nose in a childlike manner, wondering how he should go about this. "You... don't need to be sad, either."

Kagome made a small noise of surprise at his surprisingly familiar words. Her mother had told her something like that a couple of days ago, back when it still really, _really_ hurt to remember her dad's kind, smiling face. _"...cause no matter where papa is, no matter if he's near or far, if he can see you, or he can't, he'll always be there for you," _she had cried while holding both her young daughter and infant son to her chest. At first, it was hard to accept, but now...

She wondered if Itachi the type of person who was meant to make others feel better too? It sure seemed like it.

She smiled at him, just like she had on her first day there. It appeared to be more grateful than sad. "I know. But I still really miss him," she told him. "But... that's to be expected, right?"

Itachi, who couldn't really relate to the situation and could think of nothing to say, merely nodded.

That day, two little first graders who didn't fit in with the others became good friends.

Admittedly, it was rather strange for the young Uchiha, who was used to nothing but being cast out from the kids his age and spending most of his time alone. However, since Kagome had openly revealed to him just why she couldn't bring herself to smile as much as she could and should, he figured maybe it was time for things to change for him too.

And change they did.

End of Chapter.

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><p>an: well! This is a bit difficult cause I'm more comfortable writing comedy and clearly, this is not comedy! But it's always good to challenge yourself, I believe.

OH! I know I said there was going to be a time skip after this chapter but I think it'd be better for there to be a few more chapters (which will probably be longer from here on out) featuring little Itachi and Kagome. :)


	5. The Rivals?

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Naruto do not belong to me.**

Holy pickles, I needed that break! Usually, when I don't know what to do with a story, taking a break helps (coughcough_PropertyofAkatsuki_cough). Plus, school is always such a pain. Lemme tell ya, writing essay after essay after _essay_ is no walk in the park. XD But whatever. That's life.

Blackmoon OniOokami and toothcup1992, I am so sorry to hear about you guys' loss. Honestly, I feel kinda bad, because there are certain things that I can relate to in the story, and there are things that I can't, and the death of a close one is not one of them. I figured it was gonna be like that for some of my readers, but I had no idea just how close to home it would hit. So I'm really sorry if I brought up sad memories, even the saddest memory can become something that helps us grow. At least, that's what I learned from Fruits Basket. :)

Enjoy~

**[Edited 4/19/2013 – Kouga and Ayame are two of the older kids in the class.]**

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><p>Back in early August, when Uchiha Itachi had introduced himself to his fellow classmates, they had all stared at him like he was a complete freak.<p>

At first, the six year old hadn't understood why. Sure, he wasn't particularly outgoing, or necessarily genial to be around, but if someone ever attempted to talk to him, he typically responded back. It wasn't like he avoided being with the kids in his grade, but they made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with him.

Because of that, talking about himself was not something he was very used to. In fact, Itachi found that it was rather difficult. However, that light gleam in Kagome's eyes encouraged him to think of _something_ to say, anything really, because she really seemed eager to learn anything and everything that she could about him, no matter how insignificant it might have seemed.

But it was just so _hard_. The young boy pondered about what he could possibly speak about and for a quick second, he regarded Kagome, who was happily waiting for his response in the light breeze of the warm afternoon. The two swings they were occupying made no noise, as both children sat completely still. Only the cheers and laughter of the other children on the playground disrupted their temporary silence.

It was then Itachi revealed his most precious bit of information, the one thing he wanted _everyone_ to know.

"I have a little brother named Sasuke," he offered.

Kagome perked up at this.

"I have a little brother too! His name is Souta, and he's one." She affirmed this by holding up two tiny fingers in Itachi's direction.

Itachi lightly smiled. "That's how old Sasuke is, too."

Overjoyed, Kagome nearly jumped off her swing. She was obviously thrilled that she and her new companion had something in common. "Does he cry a lot too?" She questioned.

Musing over that, Itachi slightly tilted his head - it was an action Kagome would later adopt from him. "Sort of..." he murmured. "As his big brother, I have to make sure he doesn't cry too much," he added.

Kagome gave a firm nod, her red bow shifting from the action. "That's what we're there for, right?"

So this was what it was like to have a conversation with someone who understood, Itachi thought. He closed his eyes, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Right."

While Kagome exclaimed her thoughts on how their two siblings should meet so that they could become friends as well, a pair of devious cobalt orbs watched the two youngsters on the swings from a secluded place where he was hidden by numerous leaves and twigs and—

"KOOOOOUUUUGGGGGAAA!" A distant voice called his name, obviously searching for him.

Said boy grit his teeth and crouched lower, glad the bush he was currently in prevented anyone from seeing him.

Why did Ayame have to be so _clingy_? She clung to him like he was some sort of toy that she refused to let go, and he did not like it one bit! That was why he had resorted to hiding.

'Well, that's _one_ reason,' he thought as he gazed back at the girl sitting next to the unusually talkative Uchiha.

Higurashi Kagome, AKA the strange new girl who did not like to play the game that had the same name as her.

"She sure looks a lot cuter when she's smiling," noted a dazed Kouga while he stared at the beaming girl who had seemed to have grown rather attached to Uchiha Itachi overnight. It caused a strange knotting feeling to form in Kouga's belly, but he ignored it in favoring of ogling his future wife. Had her eyes always been that blue? That bright? Was her hair always that shiny? And had she always worn that red bow? It only added to her cuten— he suddenly cried out in pain when a thumb and pointer finger latched onto his cheek and pulled, dragging his attention away from the smiling Kagome. His blue eyes darted towards a pair of lively, jealous green orbs.

"What was that for, Ayame?" he growled out in a heated whisper.

"Found ya, you jerk!" was the red headed girl's _loud_ response as she pinched his cheek, his cry of pain meaning nothing to her. "What are you doing in a bush of all places?"

"Shh!" Kouga clamped a hand over her mouth. "People will hear you!"

Kouga wasn't exactly known for his smarts. Ayame was well aware of that. "They _already_ _know_ you're here—how do you think I found you?"

"Cause you're a stalker, that's how!" Kouga retorted before scrambling out of his not-so-secret bush. He needed to escape!

But Ayame was quick to follow after him. "Don't you walk away from me! And don't think I didn't see how you were looking at Kagome! You cheater!"

Having heard her name, Kagome looked in their direction, prompting Itachi and all of the other school children to look as well.

"I'm not a cheater!" Kouga yelled.

"Yes you are! You were looking at Kagome the way I look at you, therefore, you were cheating!"

Blushing because everyone had just heard _that_, Kouga pointed at the red head and attempted to defend himself, "S-shut up! I wasn't—"

"Liar!"

"What's going on?" Kagome wondered while staring at the girl with her red hair in pigtails yell at a dark haired boy. Why was that girl shouting her name in such an angry manner?

"It's best we stay out of it," Itachi informed his friend. "It sounds bad."

It _looked_ bad too, considering students of all grades were now beginning to surround the two noisy seven year olds.

It only got worse when Ayame took her attention off Kouga and spotted Kagome a few feet away and began stomping towards her. The circle of children parted, and let her through.

"Higurashi Kagome!" Ayame growled.

Kagome instantly cowered back, not used to seeing such fury directed towards her. Yet, despite her fear, she stood, and -

Itachi immediately stood up as well, ready to defend his friend in any way he could from the temperamental red head.

Obviously, things were starting to get out of hand.

"Cut it out, Ayame!" Kouga ordered, not liking how close Kagome was standing to Itachi.

But Ayame continued on. "Shut up, cheater!"

"You shut up!"

Finally, Arikawa-sensei appeared, having heard the squabble all the way from her classroom. She worked her way into the middle of the circle, frowning at the matching glares etched on her two students' faces. And the way all of the kids were circled around. "What's going on here?" She asked in an alarmed tone.

Instantly, the blame game began.

"Higurashi Kagome made Kouga cheat on me!"

"Uchiha Itachi stole my future wife!"

A large collective gasp echoed throughout the playground.

Now that was a scandal!

Because they were the two specified ones, Arikawa looked for said two kids. She spotted them, standing in front of the swings, quite a distance away.

Kagome attempted to hide behind Itachi.

Arikawa sighed. "Come on you two," she said as she grabbed Ayame's hand, and gestured for another teacher who had just arrived to take Kouga.

And just like that the inane situation was taken care of.

But Ayame and Kouga were not done with their threats yet.

"Higurashi Kagome!"

"Uchiha Itachi!"

Despite having completely different intentions, their next sentences were completely in sync. "You are my eternal rival!"

"Rival?" Kagome repeated in thought as she watched a struggling Kouga and Ayame get dragged away by the two teachers before she moved to stand next to Itachi. "Why are we their rivals? And what was that all about?"

Itachi blinked and stared down at her. She really didn't know? ...now that he thought about it, maybe it was better that she didn't.

"They just need someone to blame," he told her. "Don't worry about it."

Kagome seemed satisfied with that answer. "I see," she declared.

But she really didn't.

End of Chapter.

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><p><strong>an:** hahah, kids. :) And I know that in the anime/manga, Kouga proudly declares that Kagome is "his woman," but remember, he's just a kid right now. Just wait for all the drama that unfolds when they're all older. ;)


	6. When Kids Become Mean

a/n: this chapter was originally going to be incredibly long (for making you guys wait so long), but I decided to cut in half, because 1. It being shorter means an earlier update and 2. It gives me time to finish typing out the last half, which I'm still having problems with. So yeah, rejoice at the update! :D

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><p>"Hi, Kagome."<p>

Said girl eeped at the sound of her name and dropped the numerous crayons she had been holding. As to be expected, none of them fell back in the bin she had gotten them from and instead clattered to the floor.

Two pairs of blue eyes stared at the fallen pastels before slowly rising to meet.

"Kouga-kun," Kagome greeted, not very surprised. Ever since the whole "rivals" incident a few days ago, Kouga had suddenly started talking to her at every opportunity he got, which resulted in Ayame getting angry at her for "stealing her boyfriend." This usually led to big arguments between her and Kouga, and Arikawa-sensei had had to change their seating arrangements so that they didn't sit next to each other.

Ayame had not been happy with that. Kagome didn't know how she felt about the entire thing, but she had no problem with talking to Kouga. He was nice.

Noticing how quiet she was being, Kouga cleared his throat and dug the tip of his shoe into the carpeted floor, unintentionally breaking one of the crayons Kagome had been planning on using. "So, um, what're you drawing? For the project, I mean," he asked her, referring to the 'draw what you want to be when you grow up and tell us about it using five sentences' assignment Arikawa-sensei had assigned.

Kagome brightly smiled as she bent down to pick up some of the crayons. "A doctor," she happily revealed. "What about you, Kouga-kun?"

At that question, Kouga's face resembled a tomato. His thoughts became jumbled, and he didn't really think what he was about to say through. "Eh, you know…a car…"

"Oh." Then, processing what Kouga had just told her, Kagome blinked. "Kouga-kun would like to be a car?"

Kouga backtracked. "What? No! You didn't let me finish!"

"Sorry, please continue!" Kagome encouraged.

"What I meant to say was…I want to be married when I grow up," Kouga clarified with strong determination.

He seemed so passionate of his choice that Kagome couldn't help but blush too. And because she didn't say anything, Kouga believed she was accepting of the idea so he went in for the kill.

"…Ookami Kagome sounds cool, right?"

Kagome giggled nervously. "Um, I don't—"

She jumped when Kouga suddenly grabbed her hands and pulled her closer.

"I mean for when we're older, of course!" The boy added with hope in his eyes. "There's no need to rush!"

"But, Kouga-kun, I—"

"That's enough."

She didn't want to appear _too_ happy—because that would potentially upset Kouga—but Kagome couldn't stop the grateful grin that spread across her face when she spotted her best friend standing beside her. "Itachi-kun!"

Itachi glanced in her direction for a quick second before redirecting his gaze onto Kouga. "What are you doing to Kagome?"

"That's none of your business!" Kouga growled before he unhanded Kagome and stomped back to his table, ignoring the fuming Ayame as he passed her. He plopped down to his seat, and hid his face with the large piece of construction paper he had been drawing on.

Kagome's eyes lingered on him for a couple seconds longer before she turned towards Itachi.

"He wasn't bothering me," she weakly remarked.

Itachi watched her with a couple of seconds before saying, "I know," and before Arikawa-sensei could usher them back to their seats, he grabbed Kagome's arm and dragged her towards their table.

He, too, ignored the glare Ayame shot him and Kagome when they passed by her.

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><p>It was the beginning of the school day and all the students were all standing in a single file line, waiting for Arikawa-sensei to appear to lead them into the school. Nothing was out of the ordinary, so Itachi was caught completely off guard when Kagome unexpectedly collided into his back. He turned to face her, mildly surprised to see a smirking Ayame standing behind the smaller girl. Her arms were outstretched, and it was more than obvious that she was the culprit behind the push.<p>

But Kagome—nice, oblivious Kagome—merely pulled away from Itachi, met his eyes for a split second, then blushed.

"S-sorry about that, Itachi-kun!" She apologized while fiddling with her fingers, not even noticing the two sets of eyes watching them with startling intensity (and anger).

But Itachi saw them. "Don't worry about it," he told her as he grabbed the younger girl's forearm and gently pulled her in front of him in order to keep her away from the bitter Ayame.

Ayame merely huffed and looked away.

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><p>The same day at recess, something strange occurred.<p>

"Kagome, what are you doing?"

The little girl hiding behind him held a finger up to her lips and said, "Shh."

Itachi only frowned, but his question was answered when he noticed that Kouga was approaching him.

"Where's Kagome, Uchiha?" He asked with a glare.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Itachi answered, "she's still eating lunch inside."

Kagome breathed a small sigh of relief from behind him.

Kouga scowled. "And you didn't stay with her?"

"She told me to save a spot for her at the swings," defended Itachi.

"Tch!" Seeing that there was no point in talking to Itachi anymore, Kouga turned on his heel to continue searching for Kagome.

Once he was far away enough, Kagome moved to stand beside a quiet Itachi, a little pout on her face. When she noticed that he was staring at her, she explained, "Itachi-kun noticed it too, right? When Kouga-kun talks to me, Ayame-chan gets mad. And not just at me, but at you, too."

"Avoiding Kouga isn't going to solve the problem," Itachi told her.

Kagome didn't reply to that, and appeared to be lost in thought.

Regardless, he tried again. "Should we tell Arikawa-sensei?"

To his surprise, Kagome shook her head. "No! I'm sure everything will solve itself in the end."

'Only if you do something about it,' Itachi mentally added. However, even if he told her that, he was sure she wouldn't listen. Kagome most likely wasn't planning on doing anything about Ayame, who was just getting meaner and meaner as the days passed.

So he would take care of the matter for her.

End of chapter.

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><p>an: by the way, someone drew fanart for this little fiction! :D I put a link to it in my profile. Pleasepleasaeplease go see it because it's absolutely precious! Thank you sooooooo much, sweetlessly!


	7. If you Protect me

a/n: readers, I love you all! Please enjoy this long chapter! :D

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><p>Getting away from Kagome for five minutes was going to be difficult - especially since it was recess.<p>

However, if he wanted to accomplish what he had to do, he had to find a way.

Being direct was his usual tactic so that's what he went with.

"Kagome," he began, looking at the girl sitting beside him. "I need to go somewhere."

"Okay."

"I—" He paused. "Okay?"

"Okay," Kagome reiterated. "I will wait for Itachi-kun to come back."

That had been easy. Almost too easy. So, with caution, Itachi got up and walked away from her. He didn't want to alert Kagome of his intentions though, so he walked as casually as he could, in search of his target.

He knew to search for her near the monkey bars, because that was where her and her friends usually hung out.

True enough, Ichinose Ayame was there, hanging upside down on one of the bars. When she noticed him approaching, she scowled.

"What do you want, Uchiha Itachi?" She asked.

Itachi ignored the spite in her glare.

"To talk," he said.

* * *

><p>Seeing that Itachi was out of sight, Kagome stood. She didn't know how much time she had, so she had to be quick.<p>

As much sense as the whole rivals issue made, Kagome had decided last night that she needed advice. And not just any type of advice—_boy_ advice. And Ayame advice. The glare she had given Itachi after Kouga had talked to her had triggered concern in her. And she knew just who to ask for the guidance she needed.

Scoping out the playground, she easily spotted the trio hiding under the slide on the far side of the playground.

She shyly approached the three girls sitting in a circle. They were chatting and giggling amongst themselves, and Kagome was instantly reminded of the times she spent with Sango back home, and of the fact that the only person she had here was Itachi.

That only strengthened her resolve.

As she got closer, the girls stopped talking and instead focused on her, watching her with sharp eyes. It made her slightly nervous, but she continued on. Despite them being her classmates, she still wasn't that comfortable speaking to anyone other than Itachi, and this became obvious by the awkward silence that ensued when she was finally just a foot away from the girls.

"H-hi," she said.

"Hi," the three girls said in unison.

Since they hadn't chased her off, Kagome figured it was okay to voice why she was there. "I need some advice."

"You were smart to come to us," praised the girl with the yellow headband, instantly friendly. She'd been part of the group that had considered Kagome to be weird when she had first arrived, but time had passed and she had other things to worry about! "I'm Eri."

"And I'm Yuka," the girl with violet eyes said.

The girl with the short curly hair spoke last, though she seemed to be the most enthusiastic of the trio. "I'm Ayumi! It's nice to meet you, Kagome-chan!"

Kagome smiled. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Come sit," Yuka encouraged while scooting closer to Ayumi, who said, "tell us your worries!"

Once she was seated, Kagome tried to think of the right words to begin her account. "So…Ayame-chan has been sort of…_mean_, lately."

"She's always been mean!" interrupted Eri. "When it comes to Kouga, anyways. She's just extra mean to you."

Yuka held a finger up to her lips. "Eri, _shh_!"

A look of distress came across Kagome's face. "But it's not just me she's being mean to! She's mean to Itachi-kun, too! She always looks mad when she sees him, even though he hasn't done anything to her. Why?"

"He's friends with you," Eri reminded her. "And you're the rival. To her, he is friends with the enemy!"

"And I'm the enemy?" Kagome questioned. The word _rival_ was still sort of iffy to her, but after asking her mama about it, and hearing Eri's words, she at the least understood that what Ayame felt for Kouga was different than what she felt for Itachi. Because she _liked_ Itachi, and Ayame _liked liked_ Kouga. She frowned at the revelation. "But I don't like _like_ Kouga-kun!"

"But he like likes you!" The three girls shot back at her.

A frustrated pout came across Kagome's lips. "So what should I do? I don't want Ayame-chan to start bullying Itachi-kun…" She could handle Ayame being mean to her, but if she was mean to her friend...

"You must go to the cause of your troubles!" Eri held up a finger, and pointed towards a blue-eyed, dark haired boy laughing as he threw a basketball and made it through the hoop. "Kouga-kun."

"So Kouga-kun _is_ the problem…" Kagome mused, quietly.

"All boys are the problem!" Eri dramatically exclaimed, and the four little girls laughed.

Remembering that she had a time limit, Kagome stood and brushed off the pebbles that had collected in her lap, feeling better than before she had arrived. "Thank you for your help!"

Eri waved at her. "Anytime!"

With one last smile, a happy Kagome ran off.

Once she was gone, Eri turned back to her two friends with a big grin on her face. "I see a good future for Kagome-chan and Itachi-kun."

"Really? I see it full of _dra-ma_," Yuka said with a shrug.

When both she and Eri turned to Ayumi for her two cents, the dark eyed girl sheepishly grinned.

"All roads lead back home?"

* * *

><p>It was like a showdown.<p>

Ayame stood parallel to him, annoyance written all over her face, while he stood there completely impassive.

"Well?" Ayame probed.

Itachi didn't waste a second. "Please leave Kagome alone."

Ayame opened her mouth to retort, then closed it in shock. Then opened it again. "What?"

"Please leave Kagome alone," Itachi repeated. "You keep trying to intimidate her for no reason and you need to stop."

"I have plenty of reasons!" Ayame defended. "Reasons you wouldn't understand!"

The apathetically direct Itachi continued on, "If you want Kouga to pay attention to you, then approach him directly. Your attempts at using Kagome for that have failed."

The speed at which Ayame's face turned the same shade as a tomato was almost amusing.

"I-I don't need Kagome to get Kouga's attention!"

"But that's what your intentions were."

Ayame glared at him. "Oh, what do you know? Most people don't even like being around you!"

Itachi ignored the low blow, because while it was _mainly_ true, he had something now that he hadn't had at the beginning of the year: a friend. And because he was getting nowhere, he needed a new technique.

"Leave Kagome alone," he began, "or you won't like what I'll do to Kouga."

Ayame let out a melodramatic gasp. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I would."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would."

Worried about what Itachi had planned, Ayame regarded the crazy Uchiha boy with scared eyes. "You…you really wouldn't dare do anything to him, would you?"

Itachi shrugged.

"You wouldn't!"

Itachi shrugged.

"To him or his hair!"

Itachi _shrugged_.

Feeling that awful sinking feeling in the pit of her belly, Ayame conceded. "Fine! I'll leave Kagome alone! You just stay away from Kouga, got it?! Or else _you_ won't like what _I_ do to _you_!"

"Understood."

"Good!" Still not feeling any better though, she spun on her heel, and ran off screaming, "KOOOOOOOOUUUUUGAAA!"

His job done, Itachi made his way back to Kagome.

* * *

><p>The next day, Kagome convinced her mom to walk her to school early—really early.<p>

"What are you planning?" Her mother asked her as she watched her daughter stand in line. There were only a handful of students in other lines and about three teachers out on watch, and no one from Kagome's class had yet to arrive.

"Nothing," Kagome assured with a smile.

Her mama didn't look as if she believed her, but she didn't say anything more about it. When more students (including some of her classmates but not the one she wanted) arrived, mama Higurashi left, wishing her daughter a wonderful day.

Kagome waited. She didn't have to worry about Itachi arriving anytime soon, because even though he got to school early, it was still _too_ early for him to get there.

Before long, she saw Kouga approaching the line.

"_I'm_ always first," he told the light-haired kid standing at the front of the line, all but pushing him out of the spot.

_Avoiding Kouga isn't going to solve the problem, _she repeated Itachi's words in her head, before slowly heading towards the boy facing away from her_._

Once she was behind him, she took in a breath of much needed air, then tapped Kouga's shoulder.

"Whaddaya—" the boy began as he turned around to tell the stranger off, only to lose his ability to speak when he saw just who it was.

"Kagome!"

"I need to talk to you," she announced.

Kouga's face turned so red so fast, Kagome thought for a second he had gotten sick.

"Y-you need to talk to me?" He asked, his tone of voice high in pitch.

She nodded. "Right now."

Kouga nodded at his future wife, waiting for her to continue.

"Can you…" Kagome tightly closed her eyes, gathering the courage she needed. When she opened them again, determination glistened in the light blue. "Can you _please_ ask Ayame-chan to stop being mean to Itachi-kun?"

All the hope in Kouga's heart crumbled at her request. He scowled, and crossed his arms across his chest. "And why would I do that?"

"Because there's no reason for her to be mean to him," Kagome explained. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but Ayame-chan really likes you, and she'll probably listen to you."

Kouga frowned. "Ayame doesn't like me! She just likes to cling to me because she's weird! She's crazy!"

A bit of Kagome's exasperation made its way into her next claim. "If that were true, then she wouldn't have said that I'm her rival! Ayame-chan likes you very much!"

Her optimism was dashed when Kouga shook his head. "I'll pass. If you don't remember, I said Uchiha was my rival, too."

The dejected look on Kagome's face was heartbreaking, but Kouga wouldn't budge on the matter. As much as he wanted to help her, talking to Ayame was something he just did not want to deal with. The girl really was crazy. Just yesterday, she had tackled him while he was in the middle of a game and sworn that she'd protect him forever! It made no sense!

Kagome, busy dealing with her own turmoil, couldn't believe her plan had failed. She had been so sure asking Kouga would have worked. And it hadn't. So much for him like liking her! Because of her failure, Itachi would suffer!

Maybe if she went up to Ayame, asked for forgiveness, and bowed 50 times—

It hit her then.

"Here!" She suddenly exclaimed, startling Kouga for the second time that day. He watched as Kagome reached the back of her head, and pulled out one of her most prized possession from her hair. "If you ask Ayame-chan to stop, I'll give you this!"

All hope was born anew as Kouga watched the hair that had been held back by the bow gently fall in place against Kagome's face. He glanced down at the tiny trembling fingers tightly gripping the red ribbon she was holding out to him, then back at her pleading eyes.

He relented. "Fine."

He nearly stopped breathing when Kagome threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed. "Thank you!"

"She probably won't listen to me," Kouga timidly reminded her.

"Try anyways, please," she pleaded once again.

"Yeah, yeah."

Feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, Kagome gave him one last smile, turned on her heel, and skipped to the back of the line, much to Kouga's chagrin.

He sighed when he noted that Uchiha was there, waiting for her. He couldn't help but become annoyed when he heard Kagome shout his name and she eagerly ran to be at her friend's side, as if that were the only place where she belonged.

End of Chapter.

* * *

><p>an: I think I made Ayame too fan-girlish towards the end of her and Itachi's conversation but eh! It could be worse? XD


	8. What you Know

a/n: this is late but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I don't know what games you guys played in gym but a game I played was Flag Tag. It's just another variation of tag in which we all had to tuck two flags into our pants, and the point of the game was to take other people's flags (once they lost both they were out) and to make sure nobody stole yours. This isn't just some random fact I decided to share with you all—it's relevant to this chapter. Just imagine a generic school gym while you read. XD

* * *

><p>It was tough being in a class full of competitive first graders.<p>

As fun as Flag Tag could be, it could also be rather scary when the people playing only cared about winning, and instead of controlling the madness, the gym teacher encouraged the rare liveliness of his students.

"_Youth_!" He cheered with a wide smile.

"Everyone's faces are so terrifying," Kagome remarked with a sigh. She was already out of the game and sitting against the wall, watching the remaining players go wild in their attempts to be the winner.

This included Itachi (though his calm demeanor never changed), but he seemed more preoccupied with trying to stay out of a vicious Kouga's path than trying to win.

Eri, who hadn't even tried to stay in the game and currently sat to the left of Kagome, nodded. "Yeah… though, I didn't know Itachi-kun was so good at sports. He's as good—no, _better_—than Kouga is!"

Kagome continued to watch her friend run from one corner of the large gymnasium to the other to avoid Kouga's attempts of snatching his flags. He didn't even bother going after Kouga's (or anybody else's) flags. She slowly processed Eri's words, and she couldn't help but frown. Why did everyone know so little about Itachi? "But you've known Itachi-kun longer than me, haven't you? Why are you guys just finding out about this _now_?"

"Itachi…doesn't really stand out. He's always been really quiet. And it's not like he goes up and talks to anyone, ya know?" Yuka, who was on Eri's other side, answered.

Ayumi, who sat next to Kagome, beamed. "Unless it's Kagome-chan!"

"I'll say!" Eri grinned at the new direction of the conversation and she turned towards Kagome. "So, is it weird having a boy as your best friend?"

The little girl shook her head. "It's not weird at all."

Yuka stared at her sympathetically. She still had much to learn. "Kagome, we should explain something to you. Boys are…_different_. And Itachi's even _more_ different than other boys."

"Uchiha!" The four girls heard Kouga yell, and they turned in time to see Itachi outpace Kouga once again.

Kouga's friends whooped and cheered and said things like, "Get him, Kouga!" and "He'll get tired soon, Kouga!" and "You can beat him!"

It frustrated Kagome. "You only think that because you haven't bothered to get to know him. No one has," she huffed. "Itachi-kun's kind and funny and smart."

Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka all shared a glance.

Meanwhile, back on the gym floor, the number of players still in the game was rapidly dwindling down. Everyone—except Kagome—wore shocked expressions when they saw that Itachi had no problem outrunning the speedy Kouga and keeping quite a bit of distance between them.

Unsurprisingly, that annoyed Kouga. He hadn't been expecting _Uchiha_ _Itachi_ of all people to be the one person who could run faster than _him_.

Of course, he didn't know that Itachi was doing it on purpose, and waiting for the perfect moment to "strike". Fortunately, that perfect moment arrived quickly because nearly everyone was out of the game at this point and Itachi could finally ask Kouga what he had wanted to ask him for the past couple of days.

He stopped running and to avoid crashing into him, Kouga stopped too.

The two stared at each other for a long moment.

And then Itachi went for the kill. "Kagome doesn't wear her bow anymore. Do you have something to do with that?"

At the mention of Kagome, Kouga began sputtering. "W-what?"

Itachi frowned and reworded his question. "Why did Kagome give you her bow?"

Kouga took a step back. "What makes you—"

"You tied it to your backpack. It's very noticeable."

It was impossible to not to notice the red ribbon Kouga had tied onto the strap of his backpack. Ayame had wisely decided not to say anything about it (that didn't mean that it didn't anger her, though), and he had a feeling that in the same way he had told Ayame to back off, Kagome had told Kouga something, too. Judging the fact that both Ayame _and_ Kouga had kept their distance from both Kagome and him these past couple of days, he could easily guess what. He didn't directly ask Kagome about it because there was the chance of her filtering her answer, and he didn't want that.

"Ah, come on, Kouga!" Kouga's friends shouted from the sidelines. They couldn't hear what the two boys were talking about, so all they could do was yell at their friend to take advantage of the situation and _win_.

"You can do better than that!"

"Go on, steal his flags!"

It annoyed him. "Shut up!" He yelled to them.

That didn't sit well with Itachi. "You should be kinder to your friends." He chastised.

Kouga had no trouble redirecting his anger back onto him. "Oh, shut up! What do you know about friends when you barely have any?" He demanded to know as he made another effort to grab one of his flags, which Itachi had no trouble sidestepping.

"I know more than you think I do," was the Uchiha's reply.

"Boys," the gym teacher said in a warning tone, close enough that he could hear their conversation. He could sense a fight just seconds away from happening, and that was the last thing he—or any teacher for that matter—wanted. Gym was supposed to be fun!

Fortunately, the two heeded his warning and stepped away from one another. Though, the opposing glares didn't melt away.

However, unlike Itachi, Kouga was tired, irritated, sick of running around, and more than ready for this dumb game to end.

"This is stupid," He finally grumbled, kicking at the ground in a childish manner. "She only gave it to me so that I could help her look out for a _friend_." He didn't elaborate on that but he didn't need to. Instead, jealousy shone in his blue eyes. "I still don't know what she sees in you. She could probably be friends with anybody she wanted to and yet she always chooses to be with you. Why?"

It took Itachi a few seconds to think of what to say, because he hadn't expected the bluntness of Kouga's answer. Or his question. "Instead of asking me, you should ask Kagome," he countered quietly, and this time, when Kouga reached for his flags, he didn't move, allowing his opponent to easily snatch them.

A look of complete surprise came across Kouga's face as he stumbled from the force he had used to take Itachi's flags. _'What the—?!' _He tried to regain his footing to keep from falling to the floor. His friend's cheers didn't even register in his head.

"What was that?!" He demanded to know once he had regained his footing, though he didn't get an answer because Ayame and almost everyone else in the class had surrounded the winner, congratulating him on his victory.

Itachi took one look at the crowd, then searched for the one person who wasn't among them.

It didn't take long to find her because she was running towards him. "Itachi-kun!" Kagome cheered with contagious enthusiasm. "Congratulations on getting second place! You did great!"

"There's only one winner in games like these," Itachi told her, though he appreciated her praise.

Kagome frowned and leaned in closer to him, as if she wanted to tell him a secret. "But Itachi-kun let Kouga-kun win on purpose, right?" She whispered before her lips rose in a sweet smile. "That was very nice of you."

Itachi gave her a curious glance. "Nicer things have been done by others."

His insinuation completely flew past her. "But the important thing is that what you did just now was nice."

She looked so serious, and so sure of her claim, that he couldn't help but lightly return her smile.

"Yeah," he agreed, "I suppose it was."


	9. Pick Your Enemies Wisely

a/n: the characters introduced in this chapter will become important later on. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. I keep changing my mind on how I want this story to go. XD

* * *

><p>First graders were the absolute worst!<p>

They were small, and weak, and loud… and _annoying_.

"How can you say that when we were first graders only a year ago?" A tall lanky boy with dark eyes asked his friend.

Another boy with wild dark hair and sharp blue eyes smirked. "Don't question me, Renkotsu. You know that what I'm saying is true," he told his friend. He sat on top of the highest of the three pull-up bars on the far left of the playground, where he could see everyone run around during the particularly rowdy recess. He used the added height to his advantage as he searched for a specific person.

His eyes narrowed when he spotted him. "That's him, right?" He questioned while pointing at a boy wearing a light blue shirt. A girl in a pink dress sat next to him, a wide smile on her face. They were sitting underneath a slide located to the far right, protected from the sun.

Renkotsu looked and nodded. "Yep. That's him."

"He's cute~" Commented the boy sitting on another pull-up bar.

Bankotsu snorted. "He looks like a girl!" He found it even more difficult to believe the rumors going around that that kid was the one responsible for supposedly threatening a kid in his class.

"He does not!" Jakotsu protested. "He looks like a total sweetheart!"

"He is, from what I've heard," remarked Renkotsu, feet planted on the ground. "Particularly to the girl he's always with."

Suikotsu, who was also perfectly comfortable on the ground, turned to him. "Her name's Kagome, isn't it?"

Jakotsu scoffed and dropped down to the ground. "The name newbie is good enough for _her_."

"It's been two months since she arrived, she's not a newbie anymore," argued Renkotsu.

"Who even cares?" Bankotsu interrupted before Jakotsu could say anything. "The kid has bothered the system and I have to show him who's boss around here. Can't have him thinking he's stronger than me. It'll be an easy win for me."

"Bothered the system?" Renkotsu repeated in confusion as Bankotsu stood and jumped off the pull-up bar.

"How many times have I told you not to do that, Bankotsu?!" Yelled the teacher in charge of monitoring the children. He was no stranger to the boy's wild antics. "You're gonna break your neck one of these days!"

Bankotsu ignored him and smirked. "Let's go."

Jakotsu clapped his hands and eagerly followed after his friend.

"Let's go, Team –tsu!" He cheered.

* * *

><p>"But I <em>swear<em> I heard a bunch of noises last night! Mama said it was just my mind playing tricks on me but," the chatty Kagome shook her head, "I know better."

"You said you live on a shrine?" Itachi asked, amused by his friend's story.

The shaking turned into nodding. "Yep! It sounds a lot cooler than it actually is."

"Why's that?"

"Because all Jii-chan ever does is tell his boring stories and clean. He also likes to throw what sacred sutras at people he thinks are demons."

"As long as he doesn't hurt anyone, then there's no harm, is there?"

"I guess. But still! Those aren't easy to get off and—!"

"Oi!"

Kagome paused in the middle of her ranting. She looked away from Itachi to search for the person responsible of interrupting her.

Four boys who she'd never seen before appeared, two on one side of the slide she and Itachi sat under, and two on the other, essentially trapping the two first graders.

She became worried, whereas Itachi became suspicious.

"Uchiha Itachi?" A boy with the messy black hair and sapphire eyes called while taking a step forward.

"Yes?"

"I'm Kusao Bankotsu and I challenge you to a fight!"

If Itachi was surprised that some random boy who probably wasn't even in the same grade was trying to pick a fight with him, he didn't show it. The two boys stared each other down, and it took the Uchiha a mere second to make his decision. He shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm not interested in fighting."

"Why? Are you afraid?"

"There'd be no point."

Bankotsu smirked condescendingly. "Hah! I knew I had nothing to worry about. You're as girly as you look!" He laughed. "You're weak! And whoever you told off must be weaker!"

Kagome gasped at that. 'Weak?' She thought, directing wide eyes at the boy carelessly insulting her friend. 'Itachi-kun's not weak! He's not weak at all!'

Seeing that Itachi had chosen to ignore the stranger, she decided to speak up for him. "You leave Itachi-kun alone!" She demanded with fire in her eyes. "He hasn't done anything to you."

Itachi looked at her and Bankotsu stopped laughing to glare at her. "Was I talking to you?"

"No, but I was talking to you!" Kagome retorted, her anger and volume surprising not only Bankotsu and his group, but Itachi too. He'd only seen her happy and sad. This was his first time seeing her mad, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"Was I talking to you?!" Bankotsu angrily repeated.

Kagome clenched her fists. "Stop it! I won't let you bully my friend!"

Bankotsu grit his teeth in annoyance. The only person he wanted to fight was Itachi, not the girl! "Just be quiet, newbie! This doesn't concern you!"

"You're being mean to my friend—of course it concerns me! Go away!"

"Be _quiet_!"

"Enough," Itachi ordered, sounding angry. "Leave Kagome alone."

"Then tell newbie to keep her mouth shut!" Jakotsu hollered from his spot.

"My name's not newbie, it's Kagome!"

Just as Bankotsu opened his mouth and Itachi began to stand, another person decided to join the scene.

"Bankotsu!" Yelled the same teacher who had shouted at him for jumping off the pull-up bar. "What are you doing?! Leave those kids alone or else I'll take away your recess privileges!"

Admittedly, he didn't want that. What kid did? Recess was the only reprieve they got! Bankotsu grumbled something under his breath and directed his glare at Itachi once again. "I look forward to the day you decide to man up and fight me!" He told him before glancing at the scowling Kagome. "You're lucky you're a girl!" He quietly growled to her. That said, he turned on his heel. "Let's go, guys!"

"No! I will teach her a lesson, Ban-kun!" Jakotsu declared, only to cower back at the glare Itachi threw at him. Renkotsu grabbed one arm, Suikotsu grabbed the other, and the two shared the job of dragging him away.

"This isn't the last you've seen of us!" Jakotsu yelled as he and his friends got lost in the wave of kids running around.

The teacher ensured they were gone before leaving as well.

An awkward silence followed until Kagome huffed, "What a bunch of jerks!"

"There's no reason to be so upset," Itachi said, hoping his words would calm her down.

"There is _too_," Kagome argued with a frustrated sigh. "That boy has no reason to be mean to you! He must be jealous."

Itachi frowned. "Jealous?"

The girl vigorously nodded her head. "Because Itachi-kun is nice and smart! And thoughtful. But don't worry, Itachi-kun! I won't let him ever bother you."

'I doubt he'll be much of a problem. For now,' Itachi thought to himself. Still, despite all the commotion, he'd be lying if he said Kagome's outburst (and her words) hadn't pleased him. No one had ever stood up for him like that, and he doubted anyone else ever would.

It was nice.

Unbeknownst to him, his silence worried Kagome. Perhaps he felt a little uneasy about her yelling? Mama had told her many times that she needed to control her temper... or maybe he was still upset about being called weak? Nobody really ever talked to him unless it was necessary, so having someone abruptly come up to him and demand to fight him had probably startled him. Understandably.

"If Itachi-kun needs to talk about his feelings, I will listen," she told him.

_That_ got his attention. He made an amused sound below his breath and shook his head. "That's not necessary. But thank you."

"Okay. But, just so you know, I don't get angry _that_ often," She assured with a weak giggle, sounding both embarrassed and unsure.

If that little display from earlier was anything to go by, he sure hoped so.


End file.
